Select Committee on European Scrutiny Seventh Report

 

8 Commission Legislative and Work Programme 2007

(27995) 14919/06 COM(06) 629

Commission Communication: Commission Legislative and Work Programme 2007

Legal base	—
Document originated	24 October 2006
Deposited in Parliament	10 November 2006
Department	Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Basis of consideration	EM of 21 November 2006
Previous Committee Report	None
To be discussed in Council	No date set
Committee's assessment	Politically important
Committee's decision	Cleared

Background

8.1 Towards the end of each year, the Commission produces a Legislative and Work Programme for the following calendar year, which maps out what the Commission plans to do to meet its strategic objectives, setting out the proposed legislative and non-legislative actions. The 2007 Programme is largely based on the Annual Policy Strategy (APS) on which the Committee reported on 3 May 2006.[19]

The document

8.2 The Commission sets out its strategic priorities for 2007 under six headings:

• Modernising the European economy;
• Addressing the challenges of European society;
• A better management of migration flows;
• Secure, competitive and sustainable energy;
• Making Europe a better place to live; and
• Europe as a world partner.

8.3 To give effect to these priorities, the Commission says it has chosen to present a list of 21 "strategic initiatives", which have been "selected because of their political relevance and advanced state of preparation", and a further 60 "priority initiatives" which the Commission plans to adopt over the next 12 to 18 months. We list these initiatives in Annex 1, with our expectation of the Government Department likely to take the lead.

The Government's view

8.4 In his Explanatory Memorandum of 21 November 2006, the Minister for Europe at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr Geoffrey Hoon) says the UK welcomes the content of the Commission's 2007 Legislative and Work Programme which is in line with the Government's approach. In particular, he welcomes the document's emphasis on jobs and growth and the Commission's ongoing commitment to work on delivery and better regulation.

Conclusion

8.5 The report provides a useful summary of the Commission's priorities for 2007, which we recommend to the relevant Departmental Select Committees as indicating possible areas for inquiries. These are attached at Annex 1.

8.6 As the annual Legislative and Work Programme is essentially a fait accompli, and is heavily based on the preceding Annual Policy Strategy, we intend to focus our attention on the next APS which is due to be published in February. It is likely that we will recommend this for debate, and it is therefore vital that the Government provides a comprehensive Explanatory Memorandum on it. In the meantime, we clear the 2007 Legislative and Work Programme from scrutiny.

Annex 1: Summary of the proposals to be adopted by the Commission under the Work Programme for 2007

Notes: The measures are arranged according to our assessment of which Government Department is likely to be given responsibility for them, based on our experience with previous related proposals. This assessment may not always be correct.

STRATEGIC INITIATIVES[20]
Dept.	Subject	Type of proposal	Legal basis	Expected date of adoption
DTI	Energy initiatives a) Strategic Review of the Energy Policy for Europe b) Measures to ensure the completion of the internal market for electricity and gas	Communication Legislative	Arts 95 and 100 EC	10 January 2007 September 2007
HO/ DWP	Migration initiatives a) Legislative proposal for a general framework directive addressing labour immigration b) Proposal for a directive on the conditions of entry and residence of highly skilled workers c) Proposal for a Directive on minimum sanctions for employers of illegally resident third-country nationals	Legislative Legislative (Directive) Legislative (Directive)	Art 63 EC Art 63 EC Art 63(3)b EC	September 2007 September 2007 April 2007
DTI	Communication on the Single Market Review	Communication		End May 2007
DWP	Social reality stocktaking	Report		Interim report by 02/2007, report by 05/2007
HO	Proposal for a revision of the Council Framework Decision on Combating Terrorism	Framework	—	2nd quarter 2007
DEFRA	Emissions Trading Scheme. Proposal for amending Directive 2003/87/EC of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC, as amended	Legislative (Directive)	Art 175(1) EC	October 2007
DWP	Communication on "Pathways towards more Flexicurity: achieving better combinations of flexibility and security"	Communication		June 2007
DWP/ DOH	Communication on "A European Strategy for Social Services of general Interest"	Communication		November 2007
DOH	Community Framework for safe and efficient health services	Framework	Art 152 EC	June 2007
FCO/HO	Proposal on actions to strengthen Diplomatic and Consular Protection	Communication		September 2007
DOH	White Paper on health strategy	White Paper		June 2007
DTI	Communication on the Renewed Market Access Strategy	Communication		April 2007
DTI	Communication on a European Space Policy, incorporating a European Space Programme	Communication		March 2007
DFT/ DEFRA	Communication on the way forward for a future maritime policy	Communication		November 2007
DFT	Green paper on urban transport	Green Paper		September 2007
DEFRA	Green Paper on Post-2012 Climate Change	Green Paper		April 2007
DEFRA	Proposal for a Council Regulation on common market organisation of wine	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 37 EC	March 2007
MOD	Defence initiatives a) Communication on defence industries and markets b) Proposal for a Regulation on the Transfer of Defence Products c) Proposal for a Directive on the coordination of procedures for award of public contracts in the defence sector	Communication Legislative (Reg) Legislative (Directive)	Art 95 EC Art 95 EC	October 2007 October 2007 Mid-October 2007
FCO	Enlargement initiatives a) Strategy Paper on Enlargement b) Progress Reports on Croatia, Turkey, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Serbia (including Kosovo) and Montenegro. c) Partnerships on Croatia, Turkey, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Montenegro and Serbia (including Kosovo).	Communication Report Other/ Legislative	Art 310 EC	October 2007 October 2007 October 2007
FCO	European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) initiatives a) Communication on ENP b) Black Sea Cooperation c) Progress reports on Action Plan implementation with 11 partner countries	Communication Other Communication		Last quarter 2007 2nd quarter 2007
FCO	Follow-up to the White Paper on a European Communication Policy	Communication		April 2007

PRIORITY INITIATIVES
Dept.	Subject	Type of proposal	Legal basis	Expected date of adoption
HMT	Eurozone initiatives: a) Convergence report — 2007 b) Proposal for Council Decision(s) c) Proposal for a Council Regulation on conversion rates of the currencies of the Member States concerned to the euro	Communication Legislative (Decision) Legislative (Regulation)	Art 122 (2) EC Art 123 (5) EC	2nd quarter 2007 2nd quarter 2007 2nd quarter 2007
DEFRA	Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the support scheme in the cotton sector accompanied by a proposal for a regulation amending Chapter 10a of Title IV of Council Regulation (EC) N° 1782/2003.	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 37 (2) EC & Protocol N°4 on cotton, annexed to 1979 Act of Accession in particular para 6 thereof).	November 2007
DTI	White Paper on Damage Actions for breach of EC Competition Rules	White Paper		December 2007
HMT/ DEFRA	Commission Communication on the implementation of National strategies for Green public procurement based on EU-wide target setting and regular monitoring and benchmarking.	Communication		Autumn 2007
HMT	White Paper on the Integration of EU Mortgage Credit markets	White Paper		End May 2007
HMT	Proposal for a Directive on the coordination of procedures for the award of concessions	Legislative (Directive)	Arts 47(2), 55 and 95 EC	29 October 2007
DTI	Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the cross-border transfer of the registered office of a limited liability company	Legislative (Directive)	Art 251 EC	April 2007
HMT	Proposal for a Directive on the Solvency of insurance companies (Solvency II)	Legislative (Directive)	Arts 47(2) and 55 EC	July 2007
HMT/ DTI	Proposal for an Amendment of Directive on Undertakings for Collective Investments in Transferable Securities (UCITS)	Legislative (Directive)	Arts 47(2) and 95	Mid-October 2007
HMT/ DTI	Commission Recommendation on the proportionality between capital and control in EU companies	Other		September 2007
HMT	Communication on other VAT rates than the standard rate	Communication		4th quarter 2007
HMT	Proposal for a Council Directive on the modernisation of VAT provisions relating to financial services including insurance	Legislative (Directive)	Art 93 EC	1st quarter 2007
DTI	4th Report on Economic and Social Cohesion	Report
DTI	Communication on "Delivering the Lisbon Agenda on the ground: Cohesion Policy's programmes 2007-2013"	Communication		October 2007
DEFRA	Communication and proposal for a Council regulation on stepping up the fight against Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 37 EC	July 2007
DEFRA	Communication on a policy for the progressive elimination of discards in European Fisheries	Communication		February 2007
DEFRA	Commission Communication on water scarcity and droughts	Communication		July 2007
DEFRA	Action Plan on Sustainable Production and Consumption (SCP)	Other		November 2007
DEFRA	Legislative proposal for Regulating Carbon Capture and Geological Storage (CCS)	Legislative (Directive)	Art 175 EC	November 2007
DEFRA	White Paper: "Towards a European Climate Change Adaptation Programme"	White Paper		November 2007
DFT	Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council relating to motor vehicles using liquid or compressed gaseous hydrogen	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 95 EC	September 2007
DFT	Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the type approval of heavy-duty vehicles and engines with respect to their emissions (Euro VI proposal)	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 95 EC	October 2007
DFT	Legislative initiative to reduce CO2 emissions from Light duty vehicles	Legislative	Art 175 EC	September 2007
DEFRA	Revision of Directive 2001/81/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2001 on national emission ceilings (NEC) for certain atmospheric pollutants	Legislative (Directive)	Art 175 EC	July 2007
DTI/DEFRA	Review of existing legislation on industrial emissions	Legislative (Directive)	Art 175 EC	December 2007
DEFRA	Commission communication on the implementation and enforcement of EC environmental law	Communication		December 2007
DH/FSA	White Paper on nutrition	White Paper		April 2007
HO	Working together to improve security: Public Private Partnerships in the field of European Security	Communication		June 2007
HO/DTI	Communication "EU Action Plan for the enhancement of the security of explosives and firearms"	Communication		3rd semester 2007
HO	Communication on the fight against cyber crime	Communication		March 2007
DEFRA	Communication on the animal health strategy 2007-2013	Communication		June 2007
DEFRA	Regulation 1774/2002 on animal by-products	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 152 & Art 35 of Reg 1774/2002	End December 2006
DH	Communication on Organ donation and transplantation	Communication		December 2006
DTI/ DWP	Communication of the Commission on the follow-up to the Green Paper on "Adapting labour Law for ensuring flexibility and security for all"	Communication		June 2007
DTI	Revision of Directive 88/378/EC on the safety of toys	Legislative (Directive)	Art 95 EC	4th quarter 2007
HO	Framework Decision (or Decision) on the protection of witnesses and individuals who cooperate with the judicial process	Legislative (Fwk Decision or Decision)	Art 31(10) EU and Art 61 EC Treaty	2nd quarter 2007
DFES	Erasmus Mundus II: Decision of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a programme for the enhancement of quality in higher education and the promotion of intercultural understanding through cooperation with third countries	Legislative (Decision)	Art 149 EC	July 2007
DTI	Communication on the European Research Area — New horizons and further steps	Communication		March 2007
DTI	Communication on the Mid Term review of the Life Sciences and Biotechnology Strategy	Communication
DWP	Communication on the mid-term review of the implementation of the Social Agenda (2005-2010)	Communication		November 2007
DTI	Strategic Energy Technology Plan	Communication		November 2007
DTI	New legislative proposals amending the regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services	Legislative (Decision)	Art 95 EC	January 2007
DTI	Green Paper on Universal Service in Electronic Communications	Green Paper
DTI	European e-Inclusion strategy	Communication		November 2007
DTI/ DCMS	Communication on strengthening mobile TV in the Internal Market	Communication		April 2007
DFT	Communication on a rail freight network	Communication		July 2007
DFT	Freight Transport Logistics Action Plan	Communication		September/ October 2007
DFT	Communication on the implementation of the NAIADES action programme on inland waterway transport	Communication		December 2007
DFT	Communication on a European Ports Policy	Communication		November 2007
DFT/ HO	Legislative proposal on the cross-border enforcement of sanctions in the field of road safety	Legislative (Regulation)	Arts 71 and 156 EC	March 2007
DFID	Communication on complementarity, division of labour and scaling up of development aid	Communication		February 2007
HO	Green paper on the establishment of the second phase of the Common European Asylum System	Green Paper		2nd quarter 2007
DTI	Communication on the results of the public consultation on the Green Paper on trade defence	Communication		July 2007
DTI	Council Regulation applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences — second cycle of the GSP scheme for 2009-2011	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 133 EC	December 2007
DFID	Communication on stocktaking of EU-Africa relations	Communication		September 2007
DFID	Addressing transregional security threats through the Stability Instrument	Communication		May 2007
DFID	Global Agreements with ASEAN countries	Legislative (Decision)	Art 181 EC	1st semester 2007
HO/ DCA	Human Rights and Democracy	Communication		1st quarter 2007
FCO	Regulation amending Regulation (EC) No 1049/2001 regarding public access to European Parliament, Council and Commission documents	Legislative (Regulation)	Art 255 EC
FCO	White Paper on Communication: operational proposals	White Paper		2nd semester 2007

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19   (27371) 7571/06: see HC34-xxvii (2005-06) (3 May 2006). Back

20   The Commission states that it is committed to adopting these measures in 2007, and these will not be subject to a mid-year review. Back


 

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Prepared 5 February 2007